Local authorities should give more thought to the impact of noise pollution on the public when planning transport systems, according to a new study.
The Widex noise report, published by the Ear Institute at the University College London, suggests that some residents in certain parts of urban England face serious hearing and health problems because of traffic noise levels.
Residents in Newcastle upon Tyne were found to be at greatest risk, with the city topping the research chart as England’s noisiest urban area with an average of 80.4 decibels (dB). The town with the least amount of noise pollution was Torquay, at just 60.2dB.
Tyne Bridge was Newcastle’s loudest area, measuring up to 116dB– the loudest measurement recorded on any bridge tested in England. Areas which followed close behind were in Birmingham (79.1dB), London (78.5dB) and Darlington and Doncaster (78.3dB). Some 41 towns and cities throughout England were tested during October and November last year, with measurements taken during the morning and evening rush-hours at locations where the public came in close proximity to traffic, but excluding highways. World Health Organisation guidelines indicate that daytime outdoor noise levels should not exceed an average of 55dB in residential areas. Author of the report, Professor Deepak Prasher, said: ‘Our cities and even smaller towns are becoming noise hubs.
Traffic levels are increasing with buses, lorries, cars, motorbikes and even street-cleaning vehicles creating much of the environmental noise pollution.’
‘Councils need to be aware of this and must take into account noise as a parameter when public decisions are made. Noise pollution is often left off the agenda because people don’t know about it.’
A spokeswoman for Newcastle on Tyne City Council said: ‘The survey is misleading to say that this one, isolated and a-typical reading makes Newcastle the noisiest place in Britain.
‘The survey measurement was carried out at rush-hour beside the underpass on the central motorway before reaching the Tyne Bridge – a location which is hardly typical of the noise levels found in the rest of the city, and not a pedestrian or residential area.’ Noisiest places: 1. Newcastle upon Tyne, 80.4dB 2. Birmingham, 79.1dB 3. London, 78.5dB 4. Darlington, 78.3dB & Doncaster, 78.3dB Quietest places : 1. Torquay, 60.2dB 2. Paignton, 65.7dB 3. Scunthorpe, 66.4dB 4. Folkestone, 66.8dB 5. Colchester, 68.1dB